


The Two Princes (A Fangs and Fairytales Story)

by wraithe



Series: Fangs and Fairytales [2]
Category: 30 Seconds to Mars, Actor RPF, Bandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, F/M, Paranormal, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-05-18 00:39:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14842266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wraithe/pseuds/wraithe
Summary: After the accident and encounter that left Jared and Shannon vampires, they are back on tour and attempting to resume their old lives. Still traumatized by the events of the warehouse, Shannon is having the most trouble adjusting, barely speaking, spending his days locked alone in his room. Jared, however, is having less trouble accepting his new predicament and is learning to enjoy indulging his new appetites. When they becoming implicated in a string of disappearances of young women that seem to tie directly back to Jared and those indulgences, the group find themselves caught between mortal law enforcement and the enforcement arms of the Tretat and navigating unfamilar political waters.





	1. Chapter 1

_Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Alfheim there lived a wise and powerful king, named Unnarr. Unnarr was handsome, strong, and clever, and he was deeply beloved by his people. He lived in a beautiful palace, with many servants and attendants, ministers and lords, and yet he was very lonely. He had no queen, no progeny, no heir. He had courted many fair daughters of the realm over the years, and although they each had their own unique charms, none of them had captured his heart. He had begun to despair that he would ever find the love and companionship that he sought, but still, he waited faithfully, hoping that time would eventually prove him wrong._

  
_One day while King Unnarr was traveling with his younger brother Úlfarr they stopped near a river to have a bite to eat. It was a remarkably sunny day and the river was fresh and so clear that one could see the fishes swimming happily in its placid waters. After finishing their meal the brothers decided to cool themselves in the pleasant brook and so they stripped down and dove in. Invigorated by the refreshing water, they gamboled about, the dusty road forgotten in their merriment._

  
_Properly cooled off and with full stomachs, the two brothers laid themselves out on the bank for a bit of sun and a nap. Unnarr was beginning to drift off to sleep when a sweet melody reached his ears. Not knowing where it was coming from and not wishing to be seen naked he alerted Úlfarr and they quickly grabbed their clothes and fled to the treeline._

  
_As he dressed the song continued, a sentimental melody about the innocence of childhood sung by a young woman, and Unnarr found himself carried away by the beauty of it. He tried to see who was doing the singing but he could not catch a glimpse of the gifted songstress. He was about to go and confront her when Unnarr stopped him, pointing out that they were not in their own kingdom and that this could be any sort of a trap. As the king’s younger brother it was his job to protect Unnarr, and so Úlfarr bade the king wait there in the trees where he would be protected and volunteered to seek out the woman who had captured his brother’s attention himself._

  
_Unnarr agreed and so Úlfarr crept carefully from their hiding place down to the riverbank, where he encountered a beautiful young maiden enjoying her lunch much the way he and Unnarr just had. He watched her for a moment, the sun reflecting off her golden hair as she began a new song, and he was certain that Unnarr would be quite pleased with her. He approached her and inquired if she lived nearby and if he might call on her father._

  
_“Oh yes, you are actually on the outer reaches of my father’s estate now,” she told him. “But if you are intending to ask permission to court me, although you are very handsome, I am already betrothed to another, since the day I was born.”_

  
_Úlfarr didn’t think such betrothals would be a problem for a king, but he did not say so, merely asked for the directions to the main house and bid her good day. He intended to offer to personally handle the negotiations with the girl's father. He knew how deeply Unnarr desired to have a queen, and he knew what it would do to his standing in his brother’s eyes if were the one to bring her to him. Úlfarr may not have been as strong or benevolent as his brother, but he was even more clever. He knew an opportunity when one presented itself._

* * *

 

__

__  
  
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”

  
“Ana,” the dark-haired beauty in front of Jared answered him with a giggle. He was leaned in close to her, to make sure she heard him over the sound of the loud music in the club and to better tune into her. It was more difficult in crowded places like this to separate out individual information but even without his recently acquired sensory gifts, it wouldn’t have been difficult to tell how interested the woman was. She smiled shyly up at him through long lashes as she tucked a lock of that raven hair behind her ear. Her skin was flushed, her pupils enormous, and Jared could smell the scents of arousal wafting off of her. He’d never had problems seducing women before but now it was so easy it was laughable.

  
As he watched Ana finished the drink he had bought her while she rambled on about how much she loved his band. She was one of those nervous talkers, and her words spilled out in a jumble, a rapid staccato that Jared took in with a smile while he tried to calculate how much interaction would be needed before she felt comfortable enough to leave with him. He wasn’t interested in the conversation, but rather the rich, coppery scent of her blood, which kept his focus and fueled his own longing.   
Another drink and Ana began to relax, her body language opening up, the acrid odor of anxiety fading. Jared had never liked small talk and so much of was making him impatient. They were leaving early in the morning and he’d had nothing but blood bags in weeks. He needed something fresher, but he couldn’t yet bring himself to command her. Not like that. So he gambled.

  
“Ana,” he said, interrupting her description of her roommate’s art collection, “my hotel is only about a block from here. Would you like to see my room?”

  
Ana blushed, the subtext there was a subtle as fireworks, and Jared listened eagerly as her respiration quickened along with her pulse. “Yes,” she demurred, her eyes dropping to the floor again.

  
Jared smiled. He’d always had a soft spot for the shy ones. His transformation hadn’t seemed to change that. He helped Ana put her coat back on and led her out into the bustling Madrid street, arm around her waist as he hurried them back to the hotel.  
Ana renewed her anxious chatter once Jared had her back in his room and he allowed her to prattle on as he took her coat and made her another drink from the mini-bar. She took it with another giggle, eyes huge as she took in her surroundings. The room wasn’t particularly luxurious as far as Jared was concerned, but it was spacious and tastefully decorated, with large windows that provided a stirring view of the city. He steered Ana towards them, his hand at the small of her back as he acclimated her to his touch.

  
“Your city is quite beautiful,” he purred in her ear as he nuzzled her neck and reveled in her scent.

  
“Oh it’s not my city,” Ana corrected him. “I’m from a small town called Lerma. I came here for the show and decided to make a weekend of it.”

  
“Well, I hope you’re having a good time.”

  
Ana blushed slightly and looked at the glass in her hands. “I am so far.”

  
Jared placed his hand over hers, removing the glass and setting on a nearby table. He ran his thumb from her forehead to the smooth ridge of her cheekbone, cupping the side of her face in his cool hand. Ana sighed and closed her eyes, her head inclining into his touch. Jared couldn’t help but smile. Seducing her had been a simple thing but it still held its rewards. It was time to claim them.   
He brushed his lips against Ana’s, tentatively at first, giving her a chance to pull away or change her mind, but her shyness seemed to dissolve at this more concrete display of his attentions, and she locked her arms around his neck, her lips parting as she invited him in. With an appreciative growl, he accepted the invitation, his tongue exploring the flavor of her while he pressed her back against the glass and covered her body with his. She felt incredibly warm to him, as if she were burning for him, and he trailed his fingers down her bare arm, fantasizing not about her lovely skin but what was churning just underneath its surface.

  
When Jared’s hand reached the zipper of her dress, Ana pulled away from the kiss, shaking her head. Jared worried that she had gotten cold feet but she merely requested that they step away from the window before disrobing. He reassured her that they were too high up to be seen, but Ana insisted and so he had closed the curtains and dimmed the lights before guiding her to the bed. She stopped in front of it, hesitating again, and Jared stepped in behind her, pressing himself into her back, his lips and warm breath at her ear as his hands explored, letting her lust etch away at her doubt. He gathered her long and carefully draped it over one shoulder, exposing one side of her neck that he nuzzled as he finally edged her zipper all the way down.

  
Ana kept her hands clasped in front of her chest, a tiny uncertainty making her hesitate, something tickling at the back of her head that seemed like a warning. Her unfastened dress pooled forward into her arms, red silk that took on a warm glow in the soft lighting, and she closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths. She wasn’t sure why she still held back. Only in her wildest dreams had she ever thought that this could happen, that she would actually attract the attention of Jared Leto, let alone end up in his hotel room with his mouth on her skin and his not insignificant bulge pressed into her back as her clothing fell away. She didn’t know why that little voice in the back of her head still screamed wait, stop but it was fading by the second, drowned out by the increasingly loud thunder of her heart. A few skillful but careful scrapes of his teeth along her throat made her whimper and as that last remaining hesitation dissolved she let her dress fall to the floor.

  
Jared trailed his fingers down Ana’s newly exposed spine, eliciting a shiver from her as he hooked his fingers into the clasp of her bra and flicked it open in one quick, fluid motion. He pulled it away as he turned her back toward him, his fingers tracing lazy whorls in her skin, his mouth only finally leaving her throat when he straightened to remove his shirt.

  
Growing bolder now, Ana took the opportunity and fell to her knees in front of Jared. She looked up at him with that same heavy-lidded, demure gaze that had caught his attention at the club as she palmed the bulge in the front of his pants. She couldn’t know, however, that was only the secondary seat of his desires. He had more esoteric concerns, and having her throat that far out of his reach would only complicate the process. He pulled her back to her feet and brought her mouth to his again, indulging in the rich taste of her, careful to keep his deeper desires reigned in for the moment.

  
He guided her back onto the bed, deftly sliding her lacy underwear off as he laid her out in front of him. He looked her over appreciatively as he shed the remainder of his clothing. She really was quite exquisite, lithe and graceful, luxuriously long hair framing a heart-shaped face, enchanting Spanish eyes watching him with appreciation as he disrobed. He was eager to finish tasting her. With a growl, he dove in, positioning himself carefully over her, starting at the tiny hollow at the base of her throat, drawing the tender skin past his lips and against his teeth. There was so much information in that sample of her, but he was learning to filter out the unnecessary data, to concentrate only on the luscious notes of arousal and excitement that heated that dark craving in him to a boil.

  
Jared slipped one hand between her legs, letting his fingers test her sodden core while his mouth seized hungrily on her breast. Ana arched and moaned, her hands grabbing at his head. Impatiently he thrust two of his nimble fingers inside her, quickly kindling her need to a fever pitch as he rubbed her sensitive clit with his palm while his now dripping digits plunged in an out of her.

  
“Nnnh.. please…” Ana pleaded as she writhed underneath him. The warning voice in her head was forgotten now, the lust so acute everything seemed to be enveloped in a red fog. She wasn’t sure what she was even asking for, only that she needed it, now, and from Jared. He raised his head and their eyes met and Ana shuddered. The hunger in his face was raw, wicked, lecherous; and she realized what a dangerous thing she had done, alone in a strange city, coming to the hotel room of a man she barely knew, offering her body up to him without any reassurances. Her chest tightened but before she could process her reaction Jared was on her again, his hand gripping the back of her head as he locked her in a sweltering kiss, their bodies pressing together as he entered her without another word between them.

  
Ana adjusted herself underneath him, shifting her hips to better absorb the ferocious and ragged thrusting of his hips. Her skin felt as if it were electrified, gooseflesh and hairs standing on end as the pleasure escalated, her cries becoming louder as her body sped towards climax. Jared gripped her tightly as he continued his assault, his mouth at her throat again.

“Not yet…” he mumbled against her as she began to quake ever so slightly. “The timing is.. tricky…”

  
Ana had no idea what he meant by that but she tried to manage the urgency of her release. She wanted to please him. She wanted him to remember being with her, the pretty Spanish girl in the red dress, the one who had looked at him so adoringly, the one that smelled of orange blossoms and cloves. She fought it back as long as she could but he felt so amazing inside her, this thick length hitting every sensitive spot, and soon she could hold on no longer. It came at her like a wave against a rocky shore, crashing in and washing over her, and as she shuddered she heard Jared hiss “Yes…now.. “

  
At first, Ana thought that it was a love bite, Jared sucking into his mouth that soft patch of skin at her throat that he had been nuzzling all night. But the intensity escalated rapidly, his jaw clamping down farther than she had expected, the pressure increasing past the point of passion until she felt the skin break, pierced by something her brain refused to recognize and everything became white. Something heavy filled her, weighing her down, making her feel satiated and sleepy, and she could feel herself growing limper in Jared’s arms as he continued to feast on her neck. Oh my god, is this happening, is this actually happening, he’s drinking my blood, he’s going to kill me, oh my god Her mind raced. She felt a single tear escape, sliding warmly down her right cheek, but in spite of the thoughts invading her head, there was no fear, only that warm feeling of completion and peace.

  
Jared finished his meal, stopping himself long before any damage could come to Ana, lying her carefully back against the pillows. He sat back up and regarded her solemnly as he wiped away a small amount of her blood that had dribbled down his chin. She seemed to be fine, properly dazed but no worse for the experience. Not waiting for that high to wear off he leaned back over her, locking his eyes with hers, smoothing her hair away and purring affectionately while he told her what a wonderful night they’d had, one they had topped off by indulging in some thoroughly enjoyable but otherwise unremarkable sex, and now she was going to wash up, put her dress back on and return to her hotel. She had a bad hickey that would heal quickly. Nothing else had happened. It was a lovely adventure. It was time to go home now.

  
Ana smiled as she got out of bed, excusing herself to the bathroom where she redressed as Jared had directed. When she reentered the room, Jared was dressed as well, and he handed her her purse with a smile, kissing her softly. It was a wonderful evening. Such a wonderful evening. Ana smiled and returned the kiss.

  
Jared kept his hand protectively around her shoulders as he walked her to the elevator. She was still a little dazed and he thought about keeping her there with him a bit longer but he had already told her it was time to go home and she was quite determined to get back to her hotel now. As they walked the long hotel hallway to the double doors at its end Klara passed them, looking between Ana and Jared and then shaking her head disapprovingly. It shouldn’t have bothered Jared, he was used to Klara’s near-constant looks of disapproval and reproach, but he still disliked the way she saw him. He turned his gaze away, concentrating on Ana until he had shepherded her into the waiting compartment, pressing the button for the ground floor before departing.

  
As Ana rode the lift down it made a stop on the floor below them. A tall man who moved with an uncanny adroitness, a man with snowy white hair that hung even lower than Ana’s, and eyes like blue arctic glaciers. Ana decided he was the most beautiful person she had ever seen, and she watched him with open awe as he noticed her gaze and smiled back at her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a small packet of mints, slipping one past his perfectly drawn lips before extending one arm with a dancer's grace and proffering her the tin.

 

 

  
“Would you like one? You can help yourself,” he offered, the smile on his face never fading but his eyes becoming hard and predatory.   
Ana didn’t notice the change, still too warm from Jared’s attentions to take in the iciness in his demeanor. “Thank you,” she responded as she reached forward to choose her candy.

  
The mysterious man began humming a little tune as she looked at the tin’s contents, not finding the small white ovals she would have expected but instead a brightly colored assortment of sweets in varying shapes and sizes that seemed almost too large to actually be contained in the modest tin. She looked at the stranger uncertainly, the music he was humming filling the small space now, a melody that seemed to contain sounds like windchimes and bells, although she knew that wasn’t possible. Wait, stop. The little voice returned but Ana spied a pretty pink dragee, and she plucked it from the container. She brought it to her nose, sniffing it to try to guess the flavor, while the man looked on expectantly.   
“It’s quite tasty, I promise,” he said.  
  
In the hotel lobby, three girls on holiday who’d had a bit much to drink and were taking turns holding each other up stood impatiently at the elevator doors, watching it descend. When it chimed its arrival they habitually stepped back, making room for whoever would be exiting the lift. The only person to step off of it was a slender man with piercing eyes and hair like shone like a halo. He turned his classically sculpted face towards them, piercing eyes making them swoon, and he nodded in deference before sweeping away through the lobby and into the summer night.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

_ Once he had Unnarr safely returned home, Úlfarr set out again for the human realm, to broker with the father of the young maiden they had encountered by the river. Úlfarr had allowed Unnarr a small glimpse of her as they parted, and he had remarked on her fair beauty all the way back to their own kingdom. Unnarr was certain she was the match he had been seeking. It was up to Úlfarr to make the match happen. _

_ As Úlfarr strode down the dusty lane leading to the manor house, a multitude of children who had been playing on the grounds scattered before him, giggling and pointing at the tall stranger with the snow white hair. A few ran ahead, no doubt to alert the house's inhabitants of their incoming visitor. When Úlfarr finally arrived at the door, a footman was waiting for him. The footman ushered him into a large sitting room where he was offered tea while children peeped around the corner to ogle him. As he waited he heard more giggling, although this time it seemed to be of the adolescent female variety. He leaned over and craned his head towards the door he had entered through. Soon a face appeared there for a brief instant, breaching the border of the door frame and then popping away quickly when she realized she had been caught. This brought a new storm of giggles bubbling in from the hall. _

_ That tiny glimpse seared her impression into Úlfarr's brain – large doe eyes of softest brown, a delicately drawn nose, plump lips, and raven dark hair. Presumably the sister of the young woman he sought. Perhaps, once he had secured Unnarr's bride he would negotiate for the sister as his own. It might come in handy to be wed to the sister of the queen, he told himself, although he knew in his heart that marrying a woman from a noble family was probably wiser. He would not admit to himself he too had fallen under a spell with a single glimpse of a young woman of this household. _

_ The girl's father joined him eventually, a short, fat, balding man that Úlfarr was surprised could have fathered two such beauties. He thought their mother must be striking indeed. _

_ “I am Prince Úlfarr, Brother to Unnarr, King of Alfheim,” he said by way of introduction as he drew himself up to his full height. The smaller man blinked his watery eyes back at Úlfarr, seemingly unimpressed by the lithe, handsome man who easily towered a foot over him. “I am here on his behalf, to negotiate for the hand of your daughter.” _

_ The merchant cleared his throat before gesturing for Úlfarr to take a seat. He chose the chair next to him for himself and then poured a cup of tea before answering. _

_ “As I am aware my daughter indicated to you long before you came here, I am afraid this will be quite impossible. She is promised to another,” the merchant told him, far more firmly than Úlfarr would have expected. _

_ “Surely, whoever this human is, he cannot offer her the same life that she would have as a queen...” Úlfarr protested. _

_ The merchant shook his head. “No. It is regrettable really, but absolutely impossible. Hélène's destiny was set before she was even born. I am afraid there is no room for negotiation. No exceptions shall be made." _

_ Úlfarr decided to try another tactic. “My brother is quite set on her. I do not think I can convince him to let this pass. Surely you do not wish to anger the King of the Elvan realm?” _

_ The man blanched and spluttered. “No, no, no. Of course not. But it is out my hands...” _

_ “You are her father, are you not? I would think that you should have final say in her betrothal. You must simply explain to this young man's family...” _

_ “No, it is not...” The merchant shook his head, his mood shifting from firm assurance to anxiety. "It is impossible. It is more complicated than a simple betrothal. Really, nothing can be done..." His voice had grown more nasal with each word and his eyes darted around the room. _

_ "But.." _

_ The Merchant continued to look around as if he were reassuring himself that they were alone. He drew his chair in closer to his fair folk visitor, his voice a tense whisper when he continued. "She is third born..." _

  
  
  


Jared tossed his satchel onto the small worktable in the front area of the bus and then stretched himself out across the seats, lying back and covering his eyes with a groan. As he propped his feet up on the bench, Klara, who had been sitting at the opposite side of the table, sighed in disgust before moving across the aisle. She glared at Jared until he finally dropped his arm.

“What?” he asked her impatiently. “I can feel you staring daggers into me. What have I done to displease you now?”

They had been grousing at each other for a month now, ever since Klara had caught him feeding from a girl he picked up after a concert in Nickelsdorf. She had been furious, claiming it recklessly endangered all of them, even after Jared tried to reassure her that he was being very careful and that he had gained the necessary level of control.

“You don't know that!” Klara had shouted at him in the small hotel hallway after he had walked the girl to the elevator. “You are still practically an infant! Just because you didn't lose control this time...”

“Or any of the other times,” Jared had asserted, crossing his arms over his chest. It may have been the first time Klara had caught him but it wasn't the first time he had fed that way. In fact, he had been doing it since picking up a girl at a club in Paris one night early on in the tour.

Klara had gone completely off the handle at that admission, shouting and swearing at Jared in her native German until Silas came out of his room, rubbing his eyes sleepily and scolding them both to stop before they said something to attract unwelcome attention. Klara had spun on her heel and returned to her room, slamming the door loudly behind her.

Klara's attitude towards Jared had always been hostile, despite his best attempts at flirting his way into her good graces, so he had paid little attention to her admonishments and disapproval. He continued to feed as he saw fit, picking up girls at every stop, sharing the flat tasting bags with Silas and Shannon when that wasn't an option. This only further infuriated Klara, who took it as more evidence of Jared's selfishness and immaturity. For weeks they had continued their fight, a constant back and forth whenever the humans were out of earshot until Silas stepped in and ordered them to stop. He refused to take a side himself, noting that many moroi fed directly from willing hosts. It wasn't the most common method but provided that they came to harm it wasn't explicitly frowned upon either. Since after weeks of arguing neither had budged an inch, he reasoned it was pointless to continue. The constant bickering was making everyone else crazy. And so they had stopped arguing about Jared's illicit bloodletting and instead had begun to argue about every other little thing either one of them could find to get on the other's nerves.

“You know I was sitting there, right? Of course you do, that's where I always sit. I don't appreciate your dirty feet in my face.”

Jared grumbled and rolled over. “What's the big deal. It's not like you have an enhanced sense of smell or anything. Not like you have to sit there and smell, oh, say, someone's nasty sardine habit. Who the fuck eats sardines for breakfast anyway?”

“It's called a fisherman's breakfast. And it's delicious.”

“You smell like Satan's armpit.”

“Don't you think I find your food disgusting?”Klara retorted, her mind filled with images of Jared, Shannon, and Silas slurping down bags of blood. “I'm so tired of watching the three of you... you don't even have the decency to do it in private anymore.”

“If it bothers you don't look.”

“If my sardines bother you don't breathe. You don't have to you know. Well, unless you want to talk. And since you just love to hear the sound of your own voice....”

“Shit, not again!” Silas climbed onto the bus, taking the seat next to Klara and sighing like an exhausted father. “It's not even eight o'clock in the morning yet, kids. Could you maybe knock it off for a few hours?”

“Fine, whatever. I'm going back to my bunk,” Jared proclaimed before getting up. He stopped in front of the door as Shannon boarded, sunglasses on and a knit cap pulled down low over his head.

“Hey,” Jared greeted him, his voice much softer than it had been seconds ago. Shannon just nodded and walked straight back to his bunk, climbing in without any further acknowledgment.

“Need to do something about that,” Silas said.

“Don't you think I've been trying?” Jared pointed out before retiring to his bunk as well.

The rest of the trip to Braga was quiet, hours of tires humming against the roadway punctuated only by occasional snores in the beginning, then eventually the quiet stirring of the perpetually tired bandmates. Klara, who hadn't been able to adjust as readily to the reversed schedule the others kept, watched them all come and go from her customary seat behind the driver. They shuffled sleepily through the narrow aisles, retrieving hidden snacks before settling down in the tiny living area, headphones firmly in place, whiling away the time on books or video games. By now Klara knew where each one hid their goodies, and sometimes she would amuse herself by moving their treats, stashing a packet of cookies in next to someone else's fruit jerky, watching them become paranoid over missing food and discovered hiding places. It was silly and petty, but the constant traveling bored her. Considering all the things that it was within her power to do, she told herself they should be glad she kept her self-entertainment to benign pranks.

The band had adjusted to her and Silas's presence well enough. The cover story that had been presented was that of Silas as a professor

of music studies, on a research sabbatical. Klara was purportedly his grad student assistant. Silas had enough of that academic manner about him, and Klara had enough knowledge of music theory for the two of them to pull the charade off almost effortlessly. Silas, unsurprisingly, mostly kept to himself when the brothers were working, losing himself in his own studies, but Klara was more social than that. The Vaduva council had sent Jared a replacement for his personal assistant, a young woman from one of the old families who wasn't chosen to be turned but had grown up immersed in the supernatural world. Klara got along with her all right, but it was mostly business. The two had little in common. Klara had, however, managed to make several friends among the permanent touring crew, sneaking cigarettes with them as they struck sets, getting in the few laughs afforded her these days. In truth, she was miserable.

Babysitting Vaduva moroi was not what she had signed up for when she had pledged her service to Davrosh. She should have been traveling with the underground, doing something with meaning. Instead, she spent far too many hours out of her days stuck on a crowded tour bus that was starting to feel increasingly like the tin her embattled sardines came in, trying not to lose her temper with Jared while he tried his damnedest to make her do just that. The rest of her time was spent ferreting out books for Silas and teaching baby vampires that yes, the monsters under the bed were real. She knew she shouldn't be so hard on them, it had only been a few months since their world had been so drastically altered, they hadn't grown up with it the way that she had, but she shouldn't have had to have patience with them at all. She shouldn't be here.

Shannon, being the first one to his bunk on boarding, was also the first one to awaken. He padded up to the front living area in baggy sweats and stocking feet, an oversized hoodie wrapped protectively around him. He nodded in Klara's direction before grabbing a tablet and settling in on the seat opposite her.

“Hey, Shannon. How's it going? Did you sleep well?” Klara asked. Shannon nodded and gave her a faint smile before turning his attention to his tablet. It was the response she had expected.

Shannon had not spoken a single word in months, not since he was turned. Silas didn't seem to have any answers as to why that might be. He had debated it at great length with someone over the phone, Klara had heard him deep in conversation on many occasions. He had pored over his books, examined the newborn vamp repeatedly, even flown in a mystic to try to pull him from his silent prison. Nothing had helped, and Silas had admitted he was unsure if the problem was physical or psychological. Klara thought it was obvious. He was traumatized and heartbroken. His silence created a barrier between Shannon and the world that had turned so cruelly on him in the space of a day.

Klara stretched out her foot and nudged Shannon's knee with her toe. He looked up from whatever he was reading and she held out her bag of cookies, offering him one. He accepted with a smile, fishing out one then holding up two fingers to ask for another. Klara smiled back and nodded, and he pulled a second treat from the bag before nodding back in thanks and returning to his tablet. She sighed. She had been speaking with her mother about attempting something to help him. The elder hexe had suggested a spell that was often used in tricky interrogations, one that compelled the recipient to speak, but Klara had declined. Shannon had done nothing to hurt anyone. If not speaking was his choice, Klara didn't think she had the right to take that away from him. She would wait.

When the bus finally stopped everyone was itching to get off. It had been about six hours since they had boarded in Madrid and they all wanted to stretch their legs and get in some fresh air and some of that warm Portuguese sunshine. Well at least most of them did, Klara thought, watching Jared put on his sunglasses and carefully adjust his hat. He caught her gazing at him and she quickly looked elsewhere, noting that as her eyes had darted away he had looked embarrassed himself. She hurried out the door as soon as it opened, lighting a cigarette and trying to put Jared out of her mind, at least for now. She leaned against the side of the bus, watching as everyone split into groups, some heading off to the hotel while others delivered some of the equipment to the venue. It probably appeared chaotic to the casual observer but by now Klara knew it to be a well-orchestrated dance, and everyone knew their partner and their part. Her partner was Silas, and they would be headed into the hotel with the main group.

Once inside she expected to be given her room key and shown upstairs, but instead, the tour manager Ryan was standing with a pair of men in dark suits, ushering some of the people into conference rooms off the main lobby. She frowned and looked over at Silas for answers but he shrugged his shoulders.

“Professor!” Ryan called out as spotted Silas and Klara. “You two were staying on the main floor with the band members. Please go into conference room two,” he directed once they had approached. His voice was tight and he was tapping his foot nervously.

Klara looked from Ryan to the two men that stood next to him. Both were tall and broad-shouldered, their faces set in grim lines as they watched everyone pouring into the lobby. Their officious manner and no-nonsense suits set her teeth on edge and she could feel the hair on her arms spring to attention. This was nothing good. She was certain of it.

“Perhaps I should...”  _ go see to Shannon and Jared _ she was about to say when Silas cut her off.

“... go to the conference room as was requested,” Silas finished for her, his voice firm and strangely calm. She knew she couldn't argue in front of these men and so she acquiesced, filing into the smaller of the two rooms where Tomo, one of the other band members, and Cade, the assistant that the Vaduva council had sent, were already waiting. Cade shrugged and shook her head when Klara gave her a questioning glance.

Jared and Shannon were the last ones to arrive, taking seats next to Klara and Silas.

“What the hell is going on?” Jared whispered to Silas as soon as he had sat down.

“I was hoping you could tell me,” Silas whispered in return.

“Seriously, what the fuck?” Tomo asked loudly, apparently deciding there was no use for all this whispering. “I just want to get up to my room and take a damn shower.”

Ryan and the two mysterious men joined them then, closing the door and shutting the blinds that looked out on the historic hotel lobby. Ryan seemed to have gone from nervous to pissed, gesturing to the people seated in the room before sitting down with a loud thud.

“Well, here they are,” Ryan told the men. “Let's get this over with. We have a schedule to keep.”

“Mr. Gregory,” one of the men said in a thick Spanish accent. “this is a very serious manner.”

“Which, I have assured you, we have nothing to do with. It is just a coincidence I am sure.”

“Yes, well, that is what we are here to determine.” the man continued before turning his attention directly to Jared. “I am Inspector Romero, from the  _ Cuerpo Nacional de Policía. _ We are investigating the disappearance of a young woman in Madrid, an Ana Santos. She was last seen two nights ago, attending a concert you performed there, then again at a nightclub, and finally, entering the Hotel Atlántico with you sir. No one reports seeing her leave, and no one has seen her since."

 


End file.
